New Delhi, August 13: The Doklam-standoff has stalled plans of remeasuring Mount Everest. The Survey of India (SoI), responsible for the measurement, as per reports, has delayed plans in which it wanted to include Nepal to eliminate the doubts raised by International Scientific Community that the earthquake on April 25, 2015, could have changed the height of world’s highest peak.

To include authorities of Nepal in remeasuring the height, a proposal was sent to Ministry of External Affairs to Nepal through SoI. The journey to Everest would have also marked SoIs 250th anniversary and also remeasuring is an honour for them, reported Times of India. SoI had sent the proposal to Nepal three months ago and is still waiting for a response. In 1955, the height of Everest recorded by SoI was 8848m, it was also recognised by Nepal.

Major General VP Srivastava, Surveyor General of India, was quoted by TOI saying,” Our mission has been stalled as we haven’t received any response from the MEA-Nepal.” Kathmandu is taking time due to the ongoing Doklam stand-off between India and China, believes Swarna Subba Rao, Srivastava’s predecessor. Rao, under whom the proposal was sent stated that Nepal would take its time in the tense situation as if it says yes to the mission of SoI then Kathmandu would be seen as tilting towards New Delhi.

Major General VP Srivastava holds the same view. As per him, the silence makes one guess that Nepal is watchful. In the past few years, Kathmandu and Delhi haven’t shared good relations. Seeing this, Beijing is trying to gain an upper hand in the Himalayas.

SoI has calculated a budget of Rs 5 crore in this mission which would be funded by the Department of Science and Technology for a team of 30 that would also include Nepalis.